Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State - Recommendations of the New York State Regents Advisory Council ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Creating the Future:
A 2020 Vision and Plan
for Library Service in New York State
Recommendations of the New York State
Regents Advisory Council on Libraries to the
New York State Board of Regents
Albany, New YorkTable of Contents Executive Summary Page 1 Introduction Page 3 Purpose Page 3 Libraries - An Investment in Our Future Page 4 School Libraries Page 7 Academic and Research Libraries Page 9 Public Libraries Page 10 Special Libraries Page 12 New York State Library Systems Page 13 State Library/SED/Board of Regents Page 15 Technology and the Information Marketplace Page 17 Sustaining our Libraries Page 18 Regents Advisory Council Members Page 19
Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
Executive Summary
The Regents Advisory Council Vision 2020 Plan presents strategic directions for New York’s libraries
and library systems. Developed in partnership with the state’s library community, the Vision 2020 Plan
affirms the ongoing value of libraries and provides a clear vision of what excellent libraries should look
like. The Plan offers models of success that may be emulated by libraries throughout New York, and
makes 60 inter-related strategic recommendations for libraries, library systems, the New York State
Library, and the Board of Regents.
Several essential themes run through the Vision 2020 Plan. Foremost, there is a recognition that the
state’s 7000 libraries matter very much to the people of New York: libraries represent communities and
they empower individuals. Libraries are adapting very quickly to ever-changing technology, and have
continued to employ both traditional and contemporary methods to sustain their institutional commitment
to several core values shared by all types of libraries. These core values include a commitment to free
and open access to information for all people; the understanding that libraries and library professionals
have the obligation to teach the tools of information literacy so that all users may effectively seek
knowledge and skillfully evaluate information as appropriate; and lastly, that the present generation has
the responsibility to sustain the principles and institutions of an informed democracy for future
generations to come. These themes resonate within this document through each type of library and
library system.
The Vision 2020 Recommendations call for a wide range of change, including initiatives to educate the
public concerning the role and value of libraries, to meet the challenge of e-resources, to develop
enhanced collaborations with other libraries and organizations, to support open content, and to oppose
censorship. There are specific recommendations for the various library types (school, academic, public,
and special) as well as for library systems and the New York State Library.
This plan makes it clear that libraries - as educational institutions and community centers - are central to
the well-being and economic development of the state. While it is difficult to establish priorities for
funding during difficult economic times, it makes sense to develop those resources – like libraries and
library systems – that are part of the solution to the problems we face as a state and as a nation. The
genesis of this planning document was the recognition that significant new state aid was not probable in
the near future for libraries. However, it is hoped that this report to the Board of Regents makes clear that
1Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
without increases in financial support, libraries and library systems cannot be sustained and continue to be
responsive to the evolving needs of our state’s residents. The visible and vocal support of the Board of
Regents is essential to the success of this effort.
2Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
Introduction
In April 2010, the New York State Board of Regents challenged the library community to rethink the
State’s vast array of library services to ensure that they are aligned with modern expectations and the
expanded functions needed in today’s society, operate with improved efficiency, and are prepared for the
future as an essential and vibrant part of the State’s educational infrastructure.
Working through the Regents Advisory Council, library users, trustees, and staff have spoken out with
regard to their libraries, offering not only affirmation of the importance of libraries, but also numerous
suggestions for progress and models of success.
Purpose
The Board of Regents is responsible for the general supervision of all educational activities within the
State of New York. The Board of Regents charters public and association libraries, as well as Pre K-12
schools, colleges and universities, and cultural institutions, both public and private, which operate school,
academic and special libraries as a critical component of their educational programs and services. The
Board of Regents also oversees the New York State Library and the 73 library systems that tie these
libraries and other special libraries - located in hospitals, courts, businesses, government agencies, prisons
and other public and private organizations - together into a robust statewide network of some 7,000
libraries. The Board of Regents must also articulate and promote a vision that inspires and promotes
excellence in all the educational institutions within its purview.
Though the original charge for this effort was for “Vision 2020,” we believe that the future of libraries
can be found right before us in the remarkable work currently being done by visionary librarians, library
staff and trustees who understand the needs of their constituents and respond with innovation and service.
Therefore, the primary purpose of this document is to provide the Board of Regents with a clear vision of
what excellent libraries should look like and to offer models of success that may be emulated by libraries
3Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
throughout New York. Specific Regents’ policy suggestions that would move this vision forward are
noted where appropriate.
Libraries – An Investment in Our Future
Libraries provide the physical and virtual spaces that are an integral part of an overarching system that
provides continuous opportunities for learning from birth to senior age. By offering all New Yorkers the
opportunity to acquire the knowledge they need to be informed and engaged participants in an open
democracy, libraries empower individuals. Library “profit” is demonstrated through both the promotion
of economic enterprise and the social return on investment.
Libraries continue to undergo tremendous transition as they move to virtual services in response to
changes in technology and the expectations of their patrons, and as they facilitate not only the use of
existing information, but also production of new information through online communities and efforts to
preserve local history.
One significant change is the increasing convergence among traditionally different types of libraries in the
services they offer. Such convergence includes online access to digital resources, the re-tasking of library
space, the need for staff skilled in virtual librarianship and collaborative learning, as well as more
customary types of service.
Because of the continuing centrality, complexity and diversity of today's knowledge creation and
information distribution environments, it is important that our students and residents be equipped with
both print and digital literacy skills -- how to find, evaluate, and effectively use information from a
variety of sources and formats. Literacy – and in particular digital literacy -- lies at the heart of the
mission of all libraries.
Regardless of the many levels of technological change, libraries remain the embodiment of Americans’
“right to educate themselves”, a critical necessity in a knowledge economy where everyone must
relentlessly improve their skills throughout their lifetime. The library is what makes lifelong learning for
4Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
all residents both possible and practical, including, and perhaps especially, for those with special
challenges such as the disabled, homeless and economically disadvantaged. People unable to respond to
new challenges and invest in their own abilities are likely to become an economic liability, unable to
participate fully in society.
Libraries continue to represent a community investment in a vision of a better tomorrow through sharing
information, knowledge and, hopefully, wisdom. They are the repositories for the collective memory of
our communities, our state, and our nation, and offer us an institution that reflects the American dream of
self-help and equity.
Today’s libraries are busier and more vibrant than ever because of, not in spite of, the dramatic impact of
digital technology. But even though they have a well established and well respected brand, libraries suffer
from outdated public attitudes based on misperceptions that are limited to their traditional roles,
stereotypes and the constant assault of competing commercial information providers.
Universal Recommendations – For All Libraries
The themes of Access, Information Literacy and Sustainability are woven through all libraries in our state
and nation. Though each serves its unique community, all share these values.
Models for Success
Over six decades ago the State of New York outlined its vision for universal access to information for all
residents through its creation of library systems. This remarkably successful model has evolved to
embrace nearly all the libraries within our state, creating a framework and foundation for the fulfillment
of this dream. The notion that any and every child or adult may follow their curiosity to its fullest extent,
accessing resources from around the world, is today a reality for most, but not all, of our state’s residents.
Vibrant libraries of all types, enjoying the robust support of their community or constituency and working
in partnership with their library system and its collaborative systems are able to bring these resources into
their communities. We have the potential to fulfill this vision for all.
5Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
Recommendations:
To assure that tomorrow’s libraries continue to be a vibrant and vital part of all New Yorkers’ lifelong
learning experience, all libraries must:
• Improve the marketing of library services to all clientele and communities by rebranding libraries
while addressing the erroneous perceptions about the need for libraries in a digital world. (1)
• Develop better tools for advocacy, and identify library champions at all levels of governance:
university and school boards, town and city management, State Education Department, Board of
Regents, New York State Legislature and Executive branch. (2)
• Collaborate to integrate services and collections of all types of libraries while developing a
transparent and seamless world of library services that are ubiquitous and instantaneous, yet
personalized and flexible, serving all ages and needs. (3)
• Seek operational and cost efficiencies in light of technological opportunities, energy efficient
facilities, and online service delivery methods. (4)
• Develop economic justifications for the investments that governments, communities, individuals
and philanthropic organizations are asked to make in libraries, and enhance the role of libraries as
economic drivers for their communities. (5)
• Recruit technologically savvy staff and train current staff in virtual librarianship while
influencing higher education to appropriately educate tomorrow’s service providers. (6)
• Function at the front lines of e-resources (including e-books) purchasing, licensing, digital rights
management, digital curation, resource-sharing, and preservation; and advocate for the delivery of
open content as embodied in initiatives such as the Digital Public Library of America or the
Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities. (7)
• Actively address issues concerning the privatization of information and its impact on traditional
models of library services, defending residents’ rights to free access, free lending and the inter-
sharing of materials among libraries. (8)
6Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
• Create collaborative partnerships with all cultural and educational organizations in the state to
offer our residents the most comprehensive educational opportunities available anywhere in the
world. (9)
School Libraries (P-12)
School libraries are deeply engaged in the implementation of the New York State P-12 Common Core
Learning Standards . There is a well documented connection between student achievement and effective
school libraries. The role of school librarians is evolving as they teach students information literacy to be
savvy information consumers, producers and judges of appropriate content in all formats. School
librarians increasingly collaborate with teachers in designing curricula, developing learning experiences,
and providing technical infrastructure that are ideally placed to support differentiated instruction and
facilitate special programs for the gifted as well as students with special needs. The school librarian is
unique in that he/she addresses the depth and breadth of the entire curriculum, and leads in teaching a 21st
Century curriculum of inquiry, problem solving and content creation.
Models for Success:
The best school libraries are fully integrated into the P-12 learning experience and are at the hub of each
campus, reaching into every classroom as well as into students’ homes. Based on the research findings of
the recent Information Brief: The Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement published by the
NY Comprehensive Center (August, 2011), it is clear that with the shift to the Common Core Standards
and a commitment to five key elements of the Regents reform agenda, school libraries with certified
school librarians play an important role in student achievement, curriculum development and instruction.
Information and digital literacy is recognized as a critical aspect of each student’s education. The school
librarian is a true educational partner with every teacher and administrator in providing the best possible
learning experience for each child.
7Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
Recommendations:
The Board of Regents and State Education Department should formulate policy and regulation that will:
• Adopt and implement a statewide information fluency curriculum framework, aligned with the
New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards, which, through certified school
librarians and a strong library program, will provide equitable access to information and digital
literacy instruction and tools. Such a framework will further the schools’ ultimate goal of
preparing students, beginning at the elementary level, with the literacy and digital skills and
knowledge needed for career or college. (10)
• Expand the existing Commissioner’s Regulations (91.2) to require a certified elementary school
librarian in every school to strengthen instructional leadership in meeting the P-12 Common Core
Learning Standards, and enforce library staffing regulations in all public schools. (11)
• Create incentives to encourage school districts to actively expand and promote access to the
school library collection of online resources, e-books, and Web 2.0 tools, available 24/7, to create
learning and enrichment opportunities that reach beyond the school day and encourage year-
round learning. (12)
• Create incentives to encourage school districts to adopt flexible scheduling to support full
academic day access to school librarians, school library resources and information and digital
literacy instruction. (13)
• Create incentives for school libraries to collaborate with other libraries and communities (such as
public libraries, university and community college libraries) to result in full-time, full-year access
to information that will further opportunities for all students. (14)
8Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
Academic and Research Libraries
Academic libraries are the engines that support teaching, learning, critical thinking, research, and
collaboration on campus. They provide core support for faculty and student research, development
offices, campus information technologies and alumni, and are leaders in the digitization of research
resources and the creation of content. Academic libraries are increasingly challenged by digital rights
management and digital curation issues, costs of online research resources, and copyright law.
Models for Success:
The best institutions of higher learning understand that their libraries are the heart of intellectual inquiry.
Libraries provide or mediate access to many physical and digital resources for students, faculty and
researchers, wherever their location. Libraries also provide digital and physical spaces for collaborative
learning and research, free ranging intellectual discourse, cultural expression and housing of historically
significant materials. Even in the digital age, the library building as a place -- redesigned to foster
collaboration among students, faculty and staff -- maintains an essential role in academia.
Recommendations:
The Board of Regents and State Education Department should formulate policy and support initiatives
that will encourage:
• The development of a statewide/national digital library of shared use, freely accessible digitized
books and research materials through the Hathi Trust and similar organizations. (15)
• Active participation by New York’s libraries in the Digital Public Library of America and the
Internet Archive’s Open Library initiative, in order that New York's freely available but disparate
content can be accessed by all our residents. (16)
• The acceleration of digitization of special collections and their integration into curricula; and
making those materials freely available for research. (17)
9Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
• The publication of academic research generated by faculty that would be universally available at
no cost to the user. (18)
• Leadership in the preservation of digital resources and advocacy for open access and reduced
copyright restrictions in the support of digital preservation. (19)
• The continuation and strengthening of collaborations with other communities in support of life-
long learning, information literacy and research. (20)
• Collaboration among all academic libraries in the development of print repositories designed to
reduce redundancies within collections while maintaining high levels of access and stewardship.
(21)
• Advancement of the primary role of academic librarians in fostering the integration of
information literacy competencies into teaching and learning on their campuses to support
student academic achievement and to prepare students for the global information economy
that will shape their professional and personal lives. (22)
Public Libraries
Public libraries provide services that cannot be replicated elsewhere. They provide residents the right to
free and equal access to information, a right now under duress with the development of commercial
information services. Some of these commercial services are free but of questionable quality; others of
high quality but high price; and others are comprised of collections that are no longer owned, but rented.
Libraries provide a guide through such a maze of misinformation for the average citizen. They are a
beginning point for early childhood literacy, a center for each community’s history and culture, a key to
the American dream for immigrants, and much more. The public values its libraries as a meeting place, a
community center, and a learning place. Residents desire more business hours; more traditional resources
such as children’s programs and print books; and more e-resources such as electronic books.
Public libraries are also digital knowledge centers for communities, ensuring residents’ equal access to
technology. This is especially true as the state transitions to e-government and many residents do not have
10Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
access to the computers and broadband connectivity. In many areas, especially rural areas, the public
library is the only source of broadband internet connectivity for the entire community.
The quality of public library service remains unequal across the state. Reasons for this include community
wealth, legal structure and lack of political support.
Models for Success:
Public libraries reflect the highest ideals of the communities they serve. The best public libraries are
places where the love of learning is instilled at the youngest age and intellectual curiosity encouraged for
all. They provide a path to navigate life’s challenges and help new Americans assimilate. As community
centers they actively encourage civic engagement and cultural awareness while remembering the past by
the preservation of community history. They actively strive to provide access to their facilities and their
resources to all residents, especially for those who are physically or mentally disabled, economically
disadvantaged or otherwise facing unique challenges in today’s competitive world. Their success is
grounded in their basis as a truly democratic institution, governed and supported by the people they serve.
Recommendations:
The Board of Regents and State Education Department should formulate policy and support initiatives
that will encourage:
• The further proliferation of the Regents’ Public Library District Model to enable all public
libraries to become fully funded and governed through citizen participation and public vote. (23)
• All public libraries to proactively create and collect local content and serve as a catalyst for civic
engagement to promote civil discourse and confront society’s most difficult problems. (24)
• Collaboration with other libraries and community organizations to develop seamless information
literacy initiatives, promote cultural understanding and protect local historical and cultural
treasures. (25)
11Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
• Support state and national digital literacy learning initiatives providing this 21st century skill to
people of all walks of life, not just those enrolled in schools and colleges. (26)
• The provision of robust early childhood education programs and the provision of homework
assistance as a core service; the alignment of outreach services with societal priorities, such as
teen services and gang prevention. (27)
• The provision of full access to library services by people with disabilities, including accessible
buildings, homebound services, and assistive technology. (28)
• Investment in public library facilities in order to be able to respond to the changing needs of
communities -- rewiring of older buildings, creation of larger meeting spaces and small meeting
rooms, flexible storage solutions so that libraries can adjust as print to e-format ratios change and
energy efficiency improvements to keep operating costs down. (29)
Special Libraries (Corporate, Law and Medical Libraries, Historical Society Libraries, etc.)
Special librarians are invaluable because of their mastery of particular information content; they are
charged with the provision of evidence-based, reliable, high quality information in a cost effective way.
Historical and museum libraries face special challenges with regard to the digitization, conservation, and
preservation of special collections.
Models for Success:
Professionally managed and dedicated to the sharing of information, the best special libraries offer unique
collections and expertise of enormous value to the social, intellectual and economic life of our state.
Recommendations:
The Board of Regents and State Education Department should formulate policy and support initiatives
that will encourage:
• Making special library collections available to other libraries and the public. (30)
12Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
• Collaboration with other libraries in the development of statewide licensing of electronic data
bases and e-resources; participation in a state digital library / digital repository. (31)
• Innovation in the creation of new services such as the deployment of systems for intelligent
processing and correlation of large data sets. (32)
• The collaborative development of consistent, cost-effective digital preservation strategies. (33)
New York State Library Systems
New York’s network of library systems – school, public, and 3Rs councils -- were created to facilitate
collaboration and equalize library services across New York, but are not currently being funded by the
state at a level to meet even minimum service needs. Systems provide documented economies of scale,
but costs continue to rise and new services are in demand. Library systems should assist their members to
adapt more quickly to new user expectations, provide the highest quality professional development and
training opportunities to system members, encourage and prepare staff to be at the forefront of innovation,
consider changes in governance, mergers, and collaborations, and collaborate more with the New York
State Library. As library systems have had to ask their member libraries to cover more and more of the
cost of services provided to them to make up for long-term underfunding by the state, there is concern
13Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
that only the more affluent regions of the state will be able to afford superior library services. The new
cap on property taxes may make it more difficult for member libraries to increase their financial support
for their library systems to the extent needed to ensure that valued systems services can be sustained.
Models for Success:
The most successful library systems reflect the needs of their membership, providing such services as
cooperative purchasing, shared automation services, legal advice, continuing education, collaborative
digitization initiatives, and shared virtual reference. They are highly responsive to changes in the
marketplace and the profession and prepared to take entrepreneurial risks to bring new initiatives to their
member libraries and their constituents. Tomorrow’s best library systems will share and consolidate
services across library types, geographic boundaries and other governmental (and perhaps commercial)
institutions. Each will excel in its own area of expertise while continuing to demonstrate a statewide
model of collaboration, efficiency and cooperation.
Recommendations:
The Board of Regents and State Education Department should formulate policy and regulation that will
encourage:
• Increasing and providing incentives for collaboration among systems and with the New York
State Library, as well as with other state agencies. (34)
• An environment of flexible regional solutions without loss of state funding. (35)
• Library systems to be at the forefront of training, professional development, technological
innovation, outreach, marketing and branding, and other high-value services needed by member
libraries. (36)
• Library systems to explore models of broader and more intensive collaboration with their
members through appropriate membership fee structures or charges for special services. (37)
14Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
• Library systems to consider restructuring their governance and initiating partnerships for greater
collaboration at the regional and state level; up to and including consolidation. (38)
• Library systems – as with all libraries -- to anticipate and develop innovative and entrepreneurial
services; and to discontinue out-of-date services when they no longer provide benefit to their
members or the end-users. (39)
• Public Library Systems to proactively encourage and assist their member libraries that are eligible
to pursue the Regents’ Public Library District model of public governance and support. (40)
State Library/SED/Board of Regents
There is a need for leadership at the state level in the areas of advocacy, issues related to the privatization
of information and challenges to the doctrine of fair use, collaborative acquisition and licensing of
electronic resources, statewide programs, and electronic content.
Models for Success:
The most vibrant and effective State Library organizations are at the forefront of innovation, providing
the leadership necessary to implement new technologies and services by leveraging statewide purchasing
power and political clout to assist and encourage the advancement of all library organizations within their
state. The focus is on creation and development rather than simply regulation and reporting.
This model of success recognizes that libraries are essential to the educational, cultural and economic
future of the state and are treated as full partners in the lifelong educational process of its residents.
Recommendations:
The Board of Regents and State Education Department should formulate policy and regulation that will:
• Reaffirm the importance of libraries in the lives of all New Yorkers. (41)
• Enable the New York State Library to make its licensed electronic resources available to
businesses having fewer than 100 employees. (42)
15Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
• Mandate public library trustee education similar to that required of School Boards. (43)
• Mandate library staff training; make all Public Librarian Certificates renewable contingent upon
ongoing professional development, including 10 hours of annual technology training. (44)
• Remove regulatory and legislative restrictions to intersystem and statewide cooperative
purchasing negotiations while empowering the State Library to take the lead in negotiating
statewide licensing for e-resources. (45)
• Encourage the New York State Library and the state’s library systems to develop statewide
delivery infrastructure and to investigate the need for a statewide union catalog. (46)
• Promote legislation that protects against filtering and other forms of censorship. (47)
• Require the State Library to continuously review and update outdated standards, guidelines, and
regulations. Provide clear and relevant standards, guidelines, and regulations designed to improve
library services. (48)
• Provide legal assistance for public libraries seeking district library status. (49)
• Create incentives for collaboration, innovation, and shared services among systems. (50)
• Encourage and reward best practices throughout the state. (51)
• Direct the State Library to develop appropriate training, including in the areas of advocacy and
development, to be required for all boards and advisory councils to improve governance of
libraries and library systems. (52)
• Ask the Governor and Legislature to fully fund the State Library as a part of the State Education
Department and as an essential component of the State’s educational infrastructure. (53)
• Recognize the Board of Regents’ responsibility for its role as statewide library advocate, and
avoid viewing library services only through the prism of P-12 education. Libraries and library
systems of all types are essential to raise the knowledge, skill, and opportunity of all the people in
New York. (54)
16Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
Technology and the Information Marketplace
While library collections may have gone far past the tipping point between physical and virtual by 2020,
libraries themselves will continue to evolve as community centers for both technology and intellectual
pursuits. Many digital resources, including e-books, are leased, not owned. To counter this, shared cloud
or virtual libraries, such as those under development by the Hathi Trust and Digital Public Library of
America should be developed to serve as surrogate research libraries. The research community must make
sure that valuable content is not locked up by commercial interests. There must be greater attention paid
to the development of affordable statewide digital platforms, negotiated statewide licenses for electronic
books, periodicals, research databases, and similar materials. NOVELNY or a similar initiative must
continue to grow, and libraries of all kinds must digitize local content.
Recommendations:
The Board of Regents and State Education Department should formulate policy and support initiatives
that will:
• Address copyright, licensing, and digital rights management with one firm voice. (55)
• Encourage the growth of NOVELNY or a similar initiative by adding more e-resources of all
kinds for statewide access. (56)
• Identify the current costs of e-resources from all public funds to best determine economies of
shared acquisition and use across all schools, libraries, public universities, and state government
agencies. (57)
• Foster the development of a common statewide e-book platform and address the particularly high
costs of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) online electronic resources.
(58)
• Encourage branding of all e-content to demonstrate libraries’ value to remain visible and relevant
to end users, wherever they may be. (59)
17Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State
• Encourage all libraries and library systems to anticipate and participate in the development of a
single, digital library with rich functionality that serves all. (60)
Sustaining our Libraries
This plan, with its sixty recommendations, many based on successful models already operational, makes
it clear that libraries - as educational institutions and community centers - are central to the well-being
and economic development of the state. While it is difficult to establish priorities for funding when there
is so little available, it makes sense to develop those resources – like libraries and library systems – that
are part of the solution to the problems we face as a state and as a nation. The genesis of this planning
document was the recognition that significant new state aid for libraries was not imminent. However, it is
hoped that this report to the Board of Regents makes it clear that libraries and library systems cannot be
sustained and continue to be responsive to the needs of our state’s residents without increases in financial
support. The visible and vocal support of the Board of Regents is essential to the success of this effort.
As a starting point, the Board of Regents should support full restoration of library funding as outlined in
the Education Law. Before it is too late, and libraries are forced to cut even more staff and hours- or
close altogether – fair funding for new programs and services as outlined in this Plan is needed.
These recommendations should serve as the basis for specific legislative proposals from the Board of
Regents and library advocacy organizations to build a foundation of success for our libraries over the next
decade.
The people of New York State deserve no less.
VD032712
18Members of the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries
Mr. John Hammond (2016) ** Ms. Mary Muller (2014)
Executive Director 207 Second St.
Northern New York Library Network Troy, NY 12180
6721 US Highway 11 (518) 274-0846
Potsdam, NY 13676 E-mail: mullers @ mac.com
(315) 265-1119; Fax (315) 265-1881
E-mail: john @ nnyln.org Ms. Bridget Quinn-Carey (2013)
Chief Operating Officer, Queens Library
Ms. Sara Kelly Johns (2015) 89-11 Merrick Blvd.
Instructor, Mansfield Univ. School Library Jamaica, NY 11432
and Information Technology Program (718) 990-8596
67 Canaras Ave. E-mail: bridget.quinn-carey @ queenslibrary.org
Saranac Lake, NY 12983
(518) 891-2339 (Phone and Fax) Mr. Norman J. Jacknis (2015)
E-mail: skjohns @ gmail.com 39 Mountainside Trail
Cortlandt Manor, NY 10567
Mr. John P. Monahan (2013) (703) 484-6756
Four Corners Road E-mail: norm @ jacknis.com
Warwick, NY 10990
(914) 850-6300 Mr. Steven M. Manning (2016)
monahanjohn349 @ gmail.com Director, Regional Information Center /
Computer Services Center
Ms. Sharon E. Orienter (2014) Greater Southern Tier BOCES Regional
Doyle Marketing Communications Information Center
116 Browncroft Blvd. 459 Philo Road
Rochester, NY 14609-7832 Elmira, NY 14903
(585) 288-8076 (607) 795-5338
E-mail: seo2 @ rochester.rr.com E-mail: smanning @ gstboces.org
Ms. Jill Hurst-Wahl (2012) Mr. Gerald Nichols (2012) *
Director, Library & Information Science Director, Palmer Institute for Public Library
Program Organization and Management
School of Information Studies – Syracuse Long Island University; C.W. Post Campus
University 720 Northern Blvd.
P.O. Box 2964 Brookville, NY 11548-1300
Syracuse, NY 13220 (516) 299-2867; Fax (516) 299-4168
(315) 243-4403 E-mail: Gerald.Nichols @ liu.edu
E-mail: Hurst @ HurstAssociates.com Ms. Louise S. Sherby (2014)
Professor
Mr. Timothy V. Johnson (2012) Hunter College Libraries, Room E-115A
Librarian for Africana Studies, Anthropology & 695 Park Avenue
Food Science New York, NY 10065
New York University Libraries (212) 396-6249; Fax (212) 396-6244
70 Washington Square Park E-mail: lsherby @ hunter.cuny.edu
New York, NY 10012-1091
(212) 998-2436 * Chair
E-mail: timothy.johnson @ nyu.edu ** Vice Chair
19Staff
Jeffrey W. Cannell, Deputy Commissioner for
Cultural Education and Acting State Librarian
(518) 474-5223
E-mail: jcannell @ mail.nysed.gov
John Brock, Associate in School Library
Services
(518) 474-5922
E-mail: jbrock @ mail.nysed.gov
Loretta Ebert, Director, New York State
Library
(518) 473-1189
E-mail: lebert @ mail.nysed.gov
Joanne Shawhan, Associate in School Library
Services
(518) 474-5922
E-mail: jshawhan @ mail.nysed.gov
Carol A. Desch, Coordinator of Statewide
Library Services
(518) 486-4862; fax (518) 486-5254
E-mail: cdesch @ mail.nysed.gov
20You can also read
